Angled Stepwell: Geometry as Memory and Motion

Medium: Mixed Medium on Wood
Size: 4ft x 4ft
Creation Date: 2025
Collection: Pop Art

Angled Stepwell is a tribute to both structure and mystery—a 48” x 48” geometric exploration carved into wood, painted in acrylic, and sealed with a luminous layer of epoxy. Inspired by the intricate architecture of India’s ancient stepwells, I translated their depth and rhythm into a modern, abstract form. Each triangle feels like a descent, a doorway, a reflection of symmetry that beckons you inward. The circle enclosing them becomes a vessel, a pool, a way to hold motion inside stillness.

The process behind this piece was deeply tactile and methodical. I used a CNC machine to carve the design into the wood, chasing precision while leaving room for material surprises. Painting within these carved recesses felt like coloring between lines made by history itself—layering shades of black, white, and gray to create contrast without relying on color’s loudness. Finally, the epoxy finish added a glass-like sheen, amplifying depth and creating a surface that invites both light and shadow to play. It’s a piece that changes subtly as you move around it, shifting its reflection and weight.

What I love about Angled Stepwell is the balance between clarity and ambiguity. It’s unmistakably geometric, yet its meaning stays fluid. Are these triangles stairs? Arrows? Watermarks? For me, they’re fragments of memory—echoes of places visited, structures admired, and patterns imprinted over time. It’s a painting about descent and ascent, about the spaces we enter when we go deeper into ourselves. And like the stepwells it references, it invites quiet contemplation—a moment to pause, trace a path, and wonder what lies beneath the surface.